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  • Suspect in apparent Trump assassination attempt charged

    Suspect in apparent Trump assassination attempt charged

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    Ryan Wesley Routh, the man suspected in the apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump, has been charged with federal gun crimes on Monday in his first appearance in federal court.

    What You Need To Know

    • Ryan Wesley Routh, the man suspected in the apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump, has been charged with federal gun crimes

    • Routh was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number

    • Officials said Routh could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted on the first charge, and a possible five-year sentence on the second charge

    • A bond hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 23, and a probable cause hearing or arraignment has been set for Sept. 30



    During an eight-minute hearing, prosecutors levied two charges against him: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

    The charge of a convicted felon in possession of a firearm carries a possible 15-year sentence, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

    A second charge of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number carries a possible five-year prison sentence, a $250,000 fine and also three years supervised release.

    A bond hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 23, and a probable cause hearing or arraignment has been set for Sept. 30, depending on whether the government secures an indictment on the charges.

    During the hearing, Routh gave routine information to court officials as to his work status and income. Speaking in a soft voice, he said that he was working and making around $3,000 a month, but has zero savings.

    Routh said that he has no real estate or assets, aside from two trucks worth about $1,000, both located in Hawaii.

    Routh also said that he has a 25-year-old son, whom he sometimes supports.

    Records show that the suspect spent nearly 12 hours near golf course before being confronted.

    An FBI affidavit accompanying a criminal complaint shows how law enforcement officials, during their investigation, used his cellphone information to place him at the golf course from 1:59 a.m. Sunday until about 1:31 p.m. A digital camera, a loaded rifle with scope and a plastic bag containing food was recovered from the area where Routh had positioned himself, according to the affidavit.

    The authorities did not immediately reveal any new details about Routh or allege a particular motive. But he left an online footprint that reveals shifting political views and intense outrage about world events.

    Routh portrayed himself online as a man who built housing for homeless people in Hawaii, tried to recruit fighters for Ukraine to defend itself against Russia, and described his support and then disdain for Donald Trump — even urging Iran to kill him.

    “You are free to assassinate Trump,” Routh wrote of Iran in an apparently self-published book in 2023, “Ukraine’s Unwinnable War,” which described the former president as a “fool” and “buffoon” for both the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots and the “tremendous blunder” of leaving the Iran nuclear deal.

    Routh wrote that he once voted for Trump and must take part of the blame for the “child that we elected for our next president that ended up being brainless.”

    Through his voluminous online footprint, public records, news interviews and videos, a picture emerged of Routh as a man with a criminal past, plenty of outrage and shifting politics.

    His over 500 posts on X showed his views ranging from the left to the right, including support for politicians such as Bernie Sanders, Tulsi Gabbard and Nicki Haley, as well as Trump.

    Voter records show he registered as an unaffiliated voter in North Carolina in 2012, most recently voting in person during the state’s Democratic primary in March.

    Routh also made 19 small donations totaling $140 since 2019 to ActBlue, a political action committee that supports Democratic candidates, according to federal campaign finance records.

    In a tweet in June 2020, after the police killing of George Floyd, Routh said then-President Trump could win reelection by issuing an executive order to prosecute police misconduct. However, in recent years, his posts appear to have soured on Trump, and he expressed support for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the current Democratic presidential nominee.

    “DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose,” he wrote on X in April in support of Biden.

    In July, following the assassination attempt on Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania, a post on Routh’s account urged Biden and Harris to visit those wounded in the shooting and attend the funeral of the firefighter who was killed.

    “Trump will never do anything for them,” Routh wrote. “Show the world what compassion and humanity is all about.”

    In his book, listed on Amazon and viewed by the AP, Routh noted: “I get so tired of people asking me if I am a Democrat or Republican as I refuse to be put in a category.”

    The world would be better it were run by women, he wrote in the book that has links to his website and X account, because “it seems that the totality of the world’s problems revolve around men with massive insecurity and childlike intelligence and behavior.”

    He posted frequently on social media about Ukraine and other conflicts, and he had a website seeking to raise money and recruit volunteers to fight for Kyiv. A photo of the wiry, wild-haired Routh on his site shows him smiling, wearing a T-shirt and jacket adorned with U.S. flags.

    “Fight and die to stop aggression,” he posted on X in February 2023 about Ukraine. “Everyone should be outraged and helping.”

    “This is about good versus evil,” Routh said in a video circulating online. And in a tweet, he said, “I am going to fight and die for Ukraine.”

    Video shot by the AP showed Routh at a small demonstration in Kyiv’s Independence Square in in April 2022, two months after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of the country.

    A placard he was holding said: “We cannot tolerate corruption and evil for another 50+ years. End Russia for our kids.” He wore a blue vest with the U.S., flag on the back.

    That same day, he also visited a makeshift memorial to “Foreigners killed by Putin.”

    But Routh never served in the Ukrainian army or worked with its military, said Oleksandr Shahuri of the Foreigners Coordination Department of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Command.

    Shahuri told AP that Routh periodically contacted the International Legion of Ukraine with what he described as “nonsensical ideas” that “can best be described as delusional.”

    Routh appeared in a video standing in front of the U.S. Capitol and expressing frustration that Ukraine wasn’t taking more of the Afghan commandos he tried to recruit.

    “They’re afraid that anybody and everybody is a Russian spy,” he told news website Semafor in 2023.

    Earlier this year, he even tweeted at singers Bruno Mars and Dave Matthews to organize a “We are the World”-style effort for Kyiv. “We need an emotional tribute song for Ukraine as support stalls,” he wrote. “I have lyrics and music.”

    Routh also tweeted to former basketball star Dennis Rodman, asking for help lifting sanctions against North Korea to ease tension with the country. In another, he invites a dozen protesters in Hong Kong to stay at his Hawaii home to escape a Chinese crackdown.

    Routh lived most of his life in Greensboro, North Carolina, where his run-ins with law enforcement included a 2002 felony conviction for reportedly possessing “a fully automatic machine gun.” While court records don’t give details about the case, the Greensboro News & Record reported the arrest came after Routh ran from a traffic stop and held off police for three hours with the weapon at a roofing business. State records listed him as the business owner.

    Records also show Routh was convicted of a felony count of possession of stolen goods in 2010, as well as misdemeanors including illegally carrying a concealed weapon, a hit-and-run incident, speeding and driving with a revoked license. In each case, a judge sentenced Routh to either probation or a suspended sentence, allowing him to escape prison time.

    It was not immediately clear how Routh was able to obtain a weapon. In most states, it is generally forbidden for a person convicted of a felony to purchase or possess a firearm.

    In 2018, Routh moved to the small town of Kaaawa, Hawaii, about 45 minutes outside Honolulu, to go in business with his adult son building small wooden sheds. According to his LinkedIn page, the structures would “help address the highest homelessness rate in the United States due to unparalleled gentrification.”

    “All of us are tired of seeing the homeless people all over the island with nowhere to go,” he told Honolulu’s Star-Advertiser in 2019.

    No one answered the door Sunday at his blue stucco house near the beach that is colorfully painted with wooden cutouts of fish. A white pickup truck with a Biden-Harris bumper sticker and a flat tire was in the driveway.

    Neighbor Christopher Tam said Routh kept to himself and was respectful, cordial and kind.

    “It’s just been very surprising,” Tam said. “If he did have anything to do with it, it’s very shocking to us.”

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    Associated Press

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  • Springfield, Ohio, officials cancel CultureFest citing safety concerns

    Springfield, Ohio, officials cancel CultureFest citing safety concerns

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    SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Following several days of bomb threats to city buildings, schools and hospitals, Springfield officials have canceled its annual CultureFest celebration amid safety concerns. 

    “We deeply regret having to cancel CultureFest, as we know it is a beloved event for our community,” said City Manager Bryan Heck in a Facebook post. “However, the safety of our residents and visitors must come first.”


    CultureFest was scheduled for Sept. 27-28 and is an annual gathering celebrating diversity, arts and culture, according to the city.

    In consultation with local and state law enforcement, officials determined canceling the event was the “most repsonsible course of action,” to keep attendees, vendors, volunteers and staff safe.

    “We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this time,” the city said in a social media post. “We remain dedicated to ensuring a safe and supportive environment for all.”

    Bomb threats began earlier last week after unproven claims circulated social media, accusing Haitian immigrants in the town were killing and eating people’s pets. These claims were further perpetuated by political figures, like JD Vance and former President Donald Trump, who used it as an example in last week’s debate against Vice President Kamala Harris. 

    The City of Springfield and Springfield police have said that there are no verifiable instances of Haitians stealing and eating pets. 

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    Madison MacArthur

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  • Israel says ‘high probability’ its strike killed three hostages in Gaza

    Israel says ‘high probability’ its strike killed three hostages in Gaza

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    On Sunday, the Israeli military said there was a “high probability” that three hostages found dead months ago were killed in an Israeli airstrike.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Israeli military said Sunday that there was a “high probability” that three hostages found dead months ago were killed in an Israeli airstrike
    • The army announced the conclusions of its investigation into the deaths of Cpl. Nik Beizer, Sgt. Ron Sherman and Elia Toledano
    • A missile fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed rebels has landed in an open area in central Israel and triggered air raid sirens at its international airport, in the latest reverberation from the nearly yearlong war in Gaza
    • Israel hinted that it would respond militarily to the missile launch which happened early Sunday
    • There were no reports of casualties or major damage, but Israeli media aired footage showing people racing to shelters in Ben Gurion International Airport

    The army announced the conclusions of its investigation into the deaths of Cpl. Nik Beizer, Sgt. Ron Sherman and Elia Toledano.

    It said investigations had determined that the three were likely killed in a November airstrike that also killed a senior Hamas militant, Ahmed Ghandour.

    All three of the hostages were kidnapped in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Their bodies were recovered in December, but the cause of death was only recently determined.

    In its report, the army said there was a “high probability” they were killed in the strike, based on where the bodies were recovered, pathological reports and other intelligence. But it said, “it is not possible to definitely determine the circumstances of their deaths.”

    The conclusions could add pressure on the government to strike a deal to bring home the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Critics say it is too difficult and dangerous to try to rescue them.

    The army’s announcement is the first time it has linked the deaths of hostages to airstrikes. In other cases of bodies being recovered, the army has said people were either killed on Oct. 7, died in Hamas captivity or were killed by the militant group.

    In December, the army acknowledged mistakenly killing three hostages who had escaped Hamas captivity in a battle-torn neighborhood of Gaza City. It was believed that the three had either fled their captors or been abandoned.

    Some 250 hostages were taken on Oct. 7. Israel now believes 101 remain in captivity, including 35 who are thought to be dead. More than 100 were freed during a cease-fire in November in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Eight have been rescued by Israeli forces.

    Missile fired by Yemen’s rebels lands in Israel and triggers sirens at international airport

    A missile fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed rebels landed in an open area in central Israel early Sunday and triggered air raid sirens at its international airport, in the latest reverberation from the nearly yearlong war in Gaza. Israel hinted that it would respond militarily.

    There were no reports of casualties or major damage, but Israeli media aired footage showing people racing to shelters in Ben Gurion International Airport. The airport authority said it resumed normal operations shortly thereafter.

    A fire could be seen in a rural area of central Israel, and local media showed images of what appeared to be a fragment from an interceptor that landed on an escalator in a train station in the central town of Modiin.

    The Israeli military said it made several attempts to intercept the missile using its multitiered air defenses but had not yet determined whether any had been successful. It said the missile appeared to have fragmented midair, and that the incident is still under review. The military said the sound of explosions in the area came from interceptors.

    The Yemeni rebels, known as Houthis, have repeatedly fired drones and missiles toward Israel since the start of the war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, but nearly all of them have been intercepted over the Red Sea.

    In July, an Iranian-made drone launched by the Houthis struck Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding 10 others. Israel responded with a wave of airstrikes on Houthi-held areas of Yemen, including the port city of Hodeidah, a Houthi stronghold.

    Israel indicates it will respond to attack

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at a similar response in remarks at a Cabinet meeting after Sunday’s attack.

    “The Houthis should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us,” he said. “Anyone who needs a reminder is invited to visit the port of Hodeidah.”

    Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the rebels, said they fired a ballistic missile targeting “a military target” in the area of Tel Aviv.

    The Houthis have also repeatedly attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, in what the rebels portray as a blockade on Israel in support of the Palestinians. Most of the targeted ships have no connection to Israel.

    On Sunday, a European Union naval mission operating in the Red Sea said salvagers had begun towing a tanker that had been on fire for weeks after a Houthi attack. Operations Aspides said the Greek-flagged Sounion was being taken to a “safe location.”

    The war in Gaza, which began with Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel, has rippled across the region, with Iran and allied militant groups attacking Israeli and U.S. targets and drawing retaliatory strikes from Israel and its Western allies. On several occasions, the strikes and counterstrikes have threatened to trigger a wider conflict.

    International carriers have canceled flights into and out of Israel on a number of occasions since the start of the war, adding to the war’s economic toll on the country.

    Iran supports militant groups across the region, including Hamas, the Houthis and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, its most powerful ally, which has traded fire with Israel on a near-daily basis since the war in Gaza began. Iran and its allies say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.

    Rockets fired from Lebanon

    The military said around 40 projectiles were fired from Lebanon early Sunday, with most intercepted or falling in open areas.

    In a separate incident, Israeli forces dropped leaflets over the Lebanese border town of al-Wazzani calling on residents to evacuate. The military later said there were no such evacuation orders, and that a local commander had acted without the approval of his superiors. It said the incident was under investigation.

    It was not clear if anyone had evacuated the town, or if any message had been conveyed to residents that the leaflets were dropped in error.

    The strikes along the Israel-Lebanon border have displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides. Israel has repeatedly threatened to launch a wider military operation against Hezbollah to ensure its citizens can return to their homes.

    “The status quo will not continue,” Netanyahu said at the Cabinet meeting. “This requires a change in the balance of power on our northern border. We will do everything necessary to return our residents safely to their homes.”

    Gaza smuggling tunnels blocked

    Hezbollah has said it would halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire in Gaza. The United States and Arab mediators Egypt and Qatar have spent much of this year trying to broker a truce and the release of scores of hostages held by Hamas, but the talks have repeatedly bogged down.

    In recent weeks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted on lasting Israeli control over the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, which Israeli forces captured in May. He has said Hamas used a network of tunnels beneath the border to import arms, allegations denied by Egypt, which along with Hamas is opposed to any lasting Israeli presence there.

    An Israeli military official said late Saturday that of the dozens of tunnels discovered along the border, only nine entered Egypt, and all were found to have been sealed off. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence, said it was not clear when the tunnels were sealed.

    The discovery appeared to weaken Netanyahu’s argument that Israel needs to keep open-ended control of the corridor to prevent cross-border smuggling.

    Egypt has said it sealed off the tunnels on its side of the border years ago, in part by creating its own military buffer zone along the frontier.

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    Associated Press

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  • Judge temporarily blocks Biden admin rule to limit flaring of gas at oil wells

    Judge temporarily blocks Biden admin rule to limit flaring of gas at oil wells

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    BISMARCK, N.D. — A federal judge in North Dakota has temporarily blocked a new Biden administration rule aimed at reducing the venting and flaring of natural gas at oil wells.

    What You Need To Know

    • North Dakota, along with Montana, Texas, Wyoming and Utah, challenged the Biden admin rule in federal court earlier this year, arguing that it would hinder oil and gas production and that the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management is overstepping its regulatory authority on non-federal minerals and air pollution

    • The bureau says the rule is intended to reduce the waste of gas and that royalty owners would see over $50 million in additional payments if it was enforced

    • When pumping for oil, natural gas often comes up as a byproduct

    • Methane, the main component of natural gas, is a climate “super pollutant” that is many times more potent in the short term than carbon dioxide

    “At this preliminary stage, the plaintiffs have shown they are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim the 2024 Rule is arbitrary and capricious,” U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor ruled Friday, the Bismarck Tribune reported.

    North Dakota, along with Montana, Texas, Wyoming and Utah, challenged the rule in federal court earlier this year, arguing that it would hinder oil and gas production and that the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management is overstepping its regulatory authority on non-federal minerals and air pollution.

    The bureau says the rule is intended to reduce the waste of gas and that royalty owners would see over $50 million in additional payments if it was enforced.

    But Traynor wrote that the rules “add nothing more than a layer of federal regulation on top of existing federal regulation.”

    When pumping for oil, natural gas often comes up as a byproduct. Gas isn’t as profitable as oil, so it is vented or flared unless the right equipment is in place to capture.

    Methane, the main component of natural gas, is a climate “super pollutant” that is many times more potent in the short term than carbon dioxide.

    Well operators have reduced flaring rates in North Dakota significantly over the past few years, but they still hover around 5%, the Tribune reported. Reductions require infrastructure to capture, transport and use that gas.

    North Dakota politicians praised the ruling.

    “The Biden-Harris administration continuously attempts to overregulate and ultimately debilitate North Dakota’s energy production capabilities,” state Attorney General Drew Wrigley said in a statement.

    The Bureau of Land Management declined comment.

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    Associated Press

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  • Bomb threats made to Springfield, Ohio, hospitals, police say

    Bomb threats made to Springfield, Ohio, hospitals, police say

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    SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Two hospitals in Springfield, Ohio, received bomb threats Saturday, officials said, adding to the growing list of buildings targeted this week as the city is thrust into the national spotlight.

    Kettering Health Springfield and Mercy Health — Springfield Regional Medical Center received bomb threats, police said.

    What You Need To Know

    • Police said two hospitals in Springfield, Ohio, received bomb threats Saturday
    • The hospitals were Kettering Health Springfield and Mercy Health — Springfield Regional Medical Center
    • The town has been in the national spotlight this week following unconfirmed social media reports that had accused Haitian immigrants of stealing and eating people’s pets

    Kettering Health went into a temporary lockdown Saturday, hospital officials said.

    “Earlier this morning, the Springfield Police Department alerted our security team that a bomb threat had been made toward Kettering Health Springfield. Based on this information, the facility was placed on a temporary lockdown. The Springfield Police Department and the Kettering Health Springfield security team searched the premises and did not find anything suspicious. The lockdown has now been lifted,” a hospital statement said.

    Various government buildings and schools in the city have been receiving bomb threats since Thursday, resulting in evacuations and police sweeps.

    The city has been in the national spotlight following unsubstantiated social media reports of Haitian immigrants stealing and eating people’s pets, a topic that also came up at Tuesday’s presidential debate.

    Springfield police have said there are no credible reports to back up the claims.

    It’s not known if the claims are connected to the threats.

    Mercy Health has not responded to a request for comment.

    Digital producer Madison MacArthur, senior producer Lydia Taylor and reporter Cassidy Wilson contributed to this report.

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    Cody Thompson

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  • Bomb threats made to Springfield, Ohio, hospitals, police say

    Bomb threats made to Springfield, Ohio, hospitals, police say

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    SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Two hospitals in Springfield, Ohio, received bomb threats Saturday, officials said, adding to the growing list of buildings targeted this week as the city is thrust into the national spotlight.

    Kettering Health Springfield and Mercy Health — Springfield Regional Medical Center received bomb threats, police said.

    What You Need To Know

    • Police said two hospitals in Springfield, Ohio, received bomb threats Saturday
    • The hospitals were Kettering Health Springfield and Mercy Health — Springfield Regional Medical Center
    • The town has been in the national spotlight this week following unconfirmed social media reports that had accused Haitian immigrants of stealing and eating people’s pets

    Kettering Health went into a temporary lockdown Saturday, hospital officials said.

    “Earlier this morning, the Springfield Police Department alerted our security team that a bomb threat had been made toward Kettering Health Springfield. Based on this information, the facility was placed on a temporary lockdown. The Springfield Police Department and the Kettering Health Springfield security team searched the premises and did not find anything suspicious. The lockdown has now been lifted,” a hospital statement said.

    Various government buildings and schools in the city have been receiving bomb threats since Thursday, resulting in evacuations and police sweeps.

    The city has been in the national spotlight following unsubstantiated social media reports of Haitian immigrants stealing and eating people’s pets, a topic that also came up at Tuesday’s presidential debate.

    Springfield police have said there are no credible reports to back up the claims.

    It’s not known if the claims are connected to the threats.

    Mercy Health has not responded to a request for comment.

    Digital producer Madison MacArthur, senior producer Lydia Taylor and reporter Cassidy Wilson contributed to this report.

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    Cody Thompson

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  • Walgreens to pay $106M to settle allegations of false payment claims

    Walgreens to pay $106M to settle allegations of false payment claims

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — Walgreens has agreed to pay $106 million to settle lawsuits that alleged the pharmacy chain submitted false payment claims with government health care programs for prescriptions that were never dispensed.

    What You Need To Know

    • The settlement announced on Friday resolves lawsuits filed in New Mexico, Texas and Florida on behalf of three people who had worked in Walgreens’ pharmacy operation

    • The pharmacy chain was accused of submitting false payment claims to Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs between 2009 and 2020 for prescriptions that were processed but never picked up

    • Settlement documents say Walgreens cooperated in the investigation and has improved its electronic management system to prevent such problems from occurring again

    • In a statement, Walgreens said that because of a software error, the chain inadvertently billed some government programs for a relatively small number of prescriptions that patients submitted but never picked up

    The settlement announced on Friday resolves lawsuits filed in New Mexico, Texas and Florida on behalf of three people who had worked in Walgreens’ pharmacy operation. The lawsuits were filed under a whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act that lets private parties file case on behalf of the United States government and share in the recovery of money, the U.S. Justice Department said. The pharmacy chain was accused of submitting false payment claims to Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs between 2009 and 2020 for prescriptions that were processed but never picked up.

    Settlement documents say Walgreens cooperated in the investigation and has improved its electronic management system to prevent such problems from occurring again.

    In a statement, Walgreens said that because of a software error, the chain inadvertently billed some government programs for a relatively small number of prescriptions that patients submitted but never picked up.

    “We corrected the error, reported the issue to the government and voluntarily refunded all overpayments,” the statement by Walgreens said.

    In reaching the settlement, the chain didn’t acknowledge legal liability in the cases. 

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    Associated Press

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  • Justin Timberlake pleads guilty to impaired driving in New York

    Justin Timberlake pleads guilty to impaired driving in New York

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    SAG HARBOR, N.Y. — Justin Timberlake pleaded guilty to impaired driving Friday, resolving the criminal case stemming from his June arrest in New York’s Hamptons.

    What You Need To Know

    • The judge sentenced Justin Timberlake to a $500 fine with a $260 surcharge, and 25 hours of community service at the nonprofit of his choosing

    • He originally pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated and had his driver’s license suspended during a hearing last month

    • Timberlake was arrested in Sag Harbor, New York, a little after midnight on June 18

    • The 10-time Grammy winner hasn’t publicly addressed the arrest but seemed to acknowledge it during a performance in Chicago just days later

    The boy band singer-turned-solo star and actor appeared in Sag Harbor Village Court to enter a new plea to the lesser charge.

    The judge sentenced Timberlake to a $500 fine with a $260 surcharge, and 25 hours of community service at the nonprofit of his choosing.

    During the proceedings Timberlake remained standing throughout and gave a statement in which he expressed remorse for his actions. He said he grew up in a small town and appreciated the kind of strain his arrest has made on Sag Harbor. He said he has had a lot of time to reflect on his actions.

    “I did not live up to the standards that I try to hold for myself,” he said.

    Timberlake said he is “grateful for the opportunity to move forward” and use his platform to hopefully help others make “better decisions.“

    “I should’ve had better judgment,” he said to the judge. “ I understand the seriousness of this.”

    The pop star originally pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated and had his driver’s license suspended during a hearing last month.

    Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney’s office, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment ahead of the hearing, as did Timberlake’s attorney, Edward Burke.

    Timberlake was arrested in Sag Harbor, New York, a little after midnight on June 18 after police said he ran a stop sign in the village center, veered out of his lane and got out of his BMW smelling of alcohol.

    Police in court filings also said the 43-year-old Tennessee native’s eyes were “bloodshot and glassy” and that he had “slowed speech,” was unsteady on his feet and performed poorly on all sobriety tests.

    Timberlake told the officer he had had one martini and was following some friends home, police said.

    Sag Harbor is a one-time whaling village mentioned in Herman Melville’s classic novel “Moby-Dick” that is nestled amid the Hamptons, an area of seaside communities around 100 miles east of New York City.

    Timberlake’s license suspension in New York likely affects his ability to drive in other states, a legal expert said this week.

    Refusing a Breathalyzer test, as Timberlake did during his arrest, triggers an automatic suspension of one’s license under New York state law, which should then be enforced in other states, according to Kenneth Gober, a managing partner at the law firm Lee, Gober & Reyna in Austin, Texas.

    “Most states participate in the interstate Driver’s License Compact, an agreement to share information about license suspensions and traffic violations,” he explained in an email. “If a license is suspended in one state it should be suspended in all states.”

    In practice, though, it can take a long time for such changes to be reflected across state lines, Gober acknowledged. The pop star also has the resources to easily arrange for a driver and doesn’t need a car to drive to do his job, he added.

    Timberlake’s agent and other representatives didn’t respond to emails seeking comment this week.

    The 10-time Grammy winner hasn’t publicly addressed the arrest but seemed to acknowledge it during a performance in Chicago just days later.

    “It’s been a tough week,” he told the audience during the June 21 show at the United Center. “But you’re here, and I’m here. Nothing can change this moment right now.”

    Timberlake has been on tour for months in support of his latest album. He returns to the New York City area in the coming weeks with concerts in Newark, New Jersey; and Brooklyn.

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    Associated Press

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  • Justin Timberlake pleads guilty to impaired driving in New York

    Justin Timberlake pleads guilty to impaired driving in New York

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    SAG HARBOR, N.Y. — Justin Timberlake pleaded guilty to impaired driving Friday, resolving the criminal case stemming from his June arrest in New York’s Hamptons.

    What You Need To Know

    • The judge sentenced Justin Timberlake to a $500 fine with a $260 surcharge, and 25 hours of community service at the nonprofit of his choosing

    • He originally pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated and had his driver’s license suspended during a hearing last month

    • Timberlake was arrested in Sag Harbor, New York, a little after midnight on June 18

    • The 10-time Grammy winner hasn’t publicly addressed the arrest but seemed to acknowledge it during a performance in Chicago just days later

    The boy band singer-turned-solo star and actor appeared in Sag Harbor Village Court to enter a new plea to the lesser charge.

    The judge sentenced Timberlake to a $500 fine with a $260 surcharge, and 25 hours of community service at the nonprofit of his choosing.

    During the proceedings Timberlake remained standing throughout and gave a statement in which he expressed remorse for his actions. He said he grew up in a small town and appreciated the kind of strain his arrest has made on Sag Harbor. He said he has had a lot of time to reflect on his actions.

    “I did not live up to the standards that I try to hold for myself,” he said.

    Timberlake said he is “grateful for the opportunity to move forward” and use his platform to hopefully help others make “better decisions.“

    “I should’ve had better judgment,” he said to the judge. “ I understand the seriousness of this.”

    The pop star originally pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated and had his driver’s license suspended during a hearing last month.

    Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney’s office, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment ahead of the hearing, as did Timberlake’s attorney, Edward Burke.

    Timberlake was arrested in Sag Harbor, New York, a little after midnight on June 18 after police said he ran a stop sign in the village center, veered out of his lane and got out of his BMW smelling of alcohol.

    Police in court filings also said the 43-year-old Tennessee native’s eyes were “bloodshot and glassy” and that he had “slowed speech,” was unsteady on his feet and performed poorly on all sobriety tests.

    Timberlake told the officer he had had one martini and was following some friends home, police said.

    Sag Harbor is a one-time whaling village mentioned in Herman Melville’s classic novel “Moby-Dick” that is nestled amid the Hamptons, an area of seaside communities around 100 miles east of New York City.

    Timberlake’s license suspension in New York likely affects his ability to drive in other states, a legal expert said this week.

    Refusing a Breathalyzer test, as Timberlake did during his arrest, triggers an automatic suspension of one’s license under New York state law, which should then be enforced in other states, according to Kenneth Gober, a managing partner at the law firm Lee, Gober & Reyna in Austin, Texas.

    “Most states participate in the interstate Driver’s License Compact, an agreement to share information about license suspensions and traffic violations,” he explained in an email. “If a license is suspended in one state it should be suspended in all states.”

    In practice, though, it can take a long time for such changes to be reflected across state lines, Gober acknowledged. The pop star also has the resources to easily arrange for a driver and doesn’t need a car to drive to do his job, he added.

    Timberlake’s agent and other representatives didn’t respond to emails seeking comment this week.

    The 10-time Grammy winner hasn’t publicly addressed the arrest but seemed to acknowledge it during a performance in Chicago just days later.

    “It’s been a tough week,” he told the audience during the June 21 show at the United Center. “But you’re here, and I’m here. Nothing can change this moment right now.”

    Timberlake has been on tour for months in support of his latest album. He returns to the New York City area in the coming weeks with concerts in Newark, New Jersey; and Brooklyn.

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    Associated Press

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  • Francine made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane along coastal Louisiana

    Francine made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane along coastal Louisiana

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    Francine formed into a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, Sept. 9, becoming the sixth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.

    What You Need To Know

    • Francine made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane in Louisiana

    • It was the sixth named storm and fourth hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season

    • It brought dangerous storm surge, widespread flooding and strong winds to the Deep South


    It became a hurricane on Tuesday, Sept. 10. It slowly strengthened as it moved northeast in the Gulf, eventually becoming a Category 2 hurricane before moving inland.

    Francine made landfall on Wednesday, Sept. 11, in Terrebonne Parish, La, as a Category 2 storm with maximum winds of 100 mph. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport reported a wind gust of 78 mph Wednesday night and 7.32 inches of rain in 24 hours. 

    At the storm’s peak, 450,000 people in Louisiana were estimated to be without power. Many of the outages were attributed to falling debris, not structural damage. At one point, around 500 people were in emergency shelters, officials said.

    It moved inland Wednesday night and by Thursday morning, Sept. 12 it had weakened to a tropical storm. By the afternoon it became post-tropical, but continued to spin rain along the Deep South. 

    The remnant low brought rain as far north as the drought-stricken Mid-Mississippi River Valley and Tennessee Valley.


    Here’s a look at the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season so far.

    More Storm Season Resources


    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Boeing factory workers go on strike after rejecting contract offer

    Boeing factory workers go on strike after rejecting contract offer

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    Aircraft assembly workers walked off the job early Friday at Boeing factories near Seattle and elsewhere after union members voted overwhelmingly to go on strike and reject a tentative contract that would have increased wages by 25% over four years.

    What You Need To Know

    • Aircraft assembly workers have walked off the job at Boeing factories near Seattle and elsewhere after union members voted overwhelmingly to reject a tentative contract that would have increased wages by 25% over four years

    • The strike started at 12:01 a.m. PDT Friday, less than three hours after the local branch of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers announced 96% of voting workers rejected the proposed contract and 96% approved the work stoppage

    • The labor action involves 33,000 Boeing machinists, most of them in Washington state
    • It’s expected to shut down production of Boeing’s best-selling airline planes but not affect commercial flights

    The strike started at 12:01 a.m. PDT, less than three hours after the local branch of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers announced 94.6% of voting workers rejected the proposed contract and 96% approved the work stoppage, easily surpassing a two-thirds requirement.

    The labor action involves 33,000 Boeing machinists, most of them in Washington state, and is expected to shut down production of the company’s best-selling airline planes. The strike will not affect commercial flights but represents another setback for the aerospace giant, whose reputation and finances have been battered by manufacturing problems and multiple federal investigations this year.

    The striking machinists assemble the 737 Max, Boeing’s best-selling airliner, along with the 777, or “triple-seven” jet, and the 767 cargo plane at factories in Renton and Everett, Washington. The walkout likely will not stop production of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are built by nonunion workers in South Carolina.

    Outside the Renton factory, people stood with signs reading, “Historic contract my ass” and “Have you seen the damn housing prices?” Car horns honked and a boom box played songs such as Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do.”

    The machinists make $75,608 per year on average, not counting overtime, and that would rise to $106,350 at the end of the four-year contract, according to Boeing.

    However, the deal fell short of the union’s initial demand for pay raises of 40% over three years. The union also wanted to restore traditional pensions that were axed a decade ago but settled for an increase in new Boeing contributions of up to $4,160 per worker to employee 401(k) retirement accounts.

    Under the rejected contract, workers would have received $3,000 lump sum payments and a reduced share of health care costs. Boeing also had met a key union demand by agreeing to build its next new plane in Washington state.

    Several workers said they considered the wage offer inadequate and were upset by a recent company decision to change the criteria on which annual bonuses are paid. Toolmaker John Olson, 45, said he has received a 2% percent raise during his six years at Boeing.

    “The last contract we negotiated was 16 years ago and the company is basing the wage increases off of wages from 16 years ago,” Olson said. “They don’t even keep up with the cost of inflation that is currently happening right now.”

    Boeing responded to the strike announcement by saying it was “ready to get back to the table to reach a new agreement.”

    “The message was clear that the tentative agreement we reached with IAM leadership was not acceptable to the members. We remain committed to resetting our relationship with our employees and the union,” the company said in a statement.

    Very little has gone right for Boeing this year, from a panel blowing out and leaving a gaping hole in one of its passenger jets in January to NASA leaving two astronauts in space rather sending them home on a problem-plagued Boeing spacecraft.

    As long as the strike lasts, it will deprive the company of much-needed cash it gets from delivering new planes to airlines. That will be another challenge for new Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, who six weeks ago was given the job of turning around a company that has lost more than $25 billion in the last six years and fallen behind European rival Airbus.

    Ortberg made a last-ditch effort to salvage a deal that had unanimous backing from the union’s negotiators. He told machinists Wednesday that “no one wins” in a walkout and a strike would put Boeing’s recovery in jeopardy and raise more doubt about the company in the eyes of its airline customers.

    “For Boeing, it is no secret that our business is in a difficult period, in part due to our own mistakes in the past,” he said. “Working together, I know that we can get back on track, but a strike would put our shared recovery in jeopardy, further eroding trust with our customers and hurting our ability to determine our future together.”

    The head of the union local, IAM District 751 President Jon Holden, said Ortberg faced a difficult position because machinists were bitter about stagnant wages and concessions they have made since 2008 on pensions and health care to prevent the company from moving jobs elsewhere.

    “This is about respect, this is about the past, and this is about fighting for our future,” Holden said in announcing the strike.

    The vote also was a rebuke to Holden and union negotiators, who recommended workers approve the contract offer. Holden, who had predicted workers would vote to strike, said the union would survey members to decide which issues they want to stress when negotiations resume.

    Depending on how long the strike lasts, suspension of airplane production could prove costly for the beleaguered Boeing. An eight-week strike in 2008, the longest at Boeing since a 10-week walkout in 1995, cost the company about $100 million daily in deferred revenue.

    Before the tentative agreement was announced Sunday, Jefferies aerospace analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu estimated a strike would cost the company about $3 billion based on the 2008 strike plus inflation and current airplane-production rates.

    Solomon Hammond, 33, another Renton toolmaker, said he was prepared to strike indefinitely to secure a better contract.

    Boeing’s offer “just doesn’t line up with the current climate. The wages are just too low,” Hammond said. “I make $47 an hour and work paycheck to paycheck. Everything costs more.”

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    Associated Press

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  • Falling mortgage rates, more inventory shift housing market to buyers

    Falling mortgage rates, more inventory shift housing market to buyers

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    The home-buying season is extending into the fall, as mortgage rates fall and sellers cut prices, according to a new analysis from the real estate website Zillow. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The home-buying season is extending into the fall, as mortgage rates fall and sellers cut prices, according to a new analysis from the real estate website Zillow

    • The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is currently 6.11% — down 0.11% from a day earlier and the lowest rate since February 2023

    • Zillow said mortgage rate declines have decreased monthly payments by more than $100 nationwide

    • About 1.18 million homes are currently on the market — more than any month since September 2020


    “Late summer may be an opportunity for buyers who have been waiting in the wings for a monthly mortgage payment they can qualify for,” Zillow Chief Economist Skylar Olsen said in a statement. 

    She said home buyers have more options because lower mortgage rates are making it easier for them to qualify for loans. More inventory is also becoming available, improving their negotiating power.

    The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is currently 6.11% — down 0.11% from a day earlier and the lowest rate since February 2023. The average 15-year mortgage rate is currently 5.62%.

    Mortgage rates had been climbing since the Federal Reserve began increasing its benchmark rate in March 2022. It peaked last October at 7.79% for a fixed 30-year.

    Zillow said the mortgage rate declines have decreased monthly payments by more than $100 nationwide.

    Other factors are also shifting the housing market toward buyers, after two years favoring sellers.

    Zillow said homes took longer to sell in August than in July but are still selling faster than before the pandemic. About 1.18 million homes are currently on the market — more than any month since September 2020.

    With the Federal Reserve expected to cut rates next week, Zillow anticipates competition among homebuyers increasing this fall.

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    Susan Carpenter

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  • Army veteran deployed 10 times after 9/11 honored at remembrance ceremony

    Army veteran deployed 10 times after 9/11 honored at remembrance ceremony

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A U.S. Army veteran who spent much of his career as a Special Forces Green Beret in command of hundreds of soldiers was honored at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony Wednesday.

    The Warehouse Arts District’s annual remembrance ceremony took place at the RISE Monument at 515 22nd St. S. in St. Petersburg.

    At the ceremony, three community members received the Phoenix Award. It’s the first time this award has been given and is inspired by the heroes of 9/11.

    The commemorative plaques are small replica statues of the RISE Monument and made with steel salvaged from the Twin Towers.

    Col. Jay Powers says when thinking back to the events on the morning of Sept. 11, it still gives him goosebumps. He was stationed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, as part of a special forces group working in counterterrorism.

    He was taking part in a training exercise in preparation for an October deployment when the first plane hit the north tower. After realizing the magnitude of the situation, Powers says he knew he would be redirected. In the coming days, their initial orders were canceled and he received new orders to deploy in response to the attacks.

    “Those first orders that we got in the upper right-hand corner,” he said. “There’s a date that says when your orders expire and you have to be home from that date,” he explained. After 9/11 the first copy we got said indefinite.

    “So it felt like WWII and we’d deploy and fight until there was no more fighting to be done.”

    Powers was first sent to Kuwait and then to Afghanistan to raid and seize locations expected of housing Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

    “The amount of unknowns were just hard to conceive,” he stated, recalling that deployment. “Like we knew we’d go, we just had no idea what we were getting into.”

    Over the next 19 years, Powers climbed the ranks and was deployed a total of ten times following the 9/11 attacks. After the first, six were to Iraq and another three to Syria. He retired in 2022 and became Plant City High School’s wrestling coach and a volunteer.

    He called receiving the inaugural Phoenix Award a humbling experience, saying that each 9/11 anniversary he thinks about the heroes who ran towards the twin towers and those on Flight 93.

    “I think it’s wonderful they’re doing things to remember that day. When I think of 9/11 it also makes me think of Dec. 7. The day that will live in infamy,” he said. “But I think on Dec. 7 we’re thinking about a lot of other things than what happened that day — so I would hope that doesn’t happen to 9/11 as well.”


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    Angie Angers

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  • Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris after debate

    Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris after debate

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    Pop star Taylor Swift says she will be voting for Vice President Kamala Harris, ending months of speculation about whether she would offer an endorsement in November’s election.

    What You Need To Know

    • Pop star Taylor Swift said on Instagram late Tuesday night following the first presidential debate that she will be voting for Vice President Kamala Harris, ending months of speculation about whether she would offer an endorsement in November’s election

    • Swift encouraged her 283 million followers on Instagram to research their choices in November’s election and check their voter registration

    • The megastar said she will support the vice president “because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” and praised her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as a champion “for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades”

    • She also broke her silence about Trump posting an AI-generated image purporting to show Swift endorsing the Republican ex-president



    Swift made the announcement on her Instagram page following the debate between Harris and former President Donald Trump.

    “Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight,” Swift said in her post late Tuesday night. “If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country.”

    “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” Swift added, saying she will support the vice president “because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.

    She also offered high praise for Tim Walz, her running mate, saying the Minnesota governor “has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”

    Swift later encouraged her 283 million followers on the popular photo-sharing platform to make sure they’re registered to vote and urged them to do their own research on who to support before signing the post, “Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady,” a reference to Trump’s running mate JD Vance’s previous criticisms of “childless cat ladies.”

    When asked in the spin room following Tuesday’s presidential debate for his reaction to the endorsement from Swift, Trump replied: “I have no idea.”

    She also broke her silence about Trump posting an AI-generated image purporting to show Swift endorsing the Republican ex-president, who she publicly opposed in 2020 in support of Joe Biden and Harris.

    “Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site,” Swift wrote. “It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.”

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    Justin Tasolides

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  • Peter Frampton finally finds Rock & Roll Hall of Fame doors open to him

    Peter Frampton finally finds Rock & Roll Hall of Fame doors open to him

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    NEW YORK (AP) — At the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony last year, Sheryl Crow was about to sing her hit “Everyday Is a Winding Road” when she invited a rock icon up on stage.

    What You Need To Know

    • A year after he appeared on the stage supporting Sheryl Crow’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Peter Frampton finds the doors of the hallowed institution open to him

    • The guitarist-singer-songwriter has been eligible for the hall since 1998 but says he thought “it just wasn’t going to happen and I got on with my life”

    • Frampton earned his way into the hall in large part on the strength of his 1976 live double album “Frampton Comes Alive!” — buoyed by the hit songs “Show Me the Way” and ″Baby, I Love Your Way”

    • The hall’s ceremony is Oct. 19

    “Ladies and gentlemen, I have to bring out one of my heroes — Peter Frampton,” she said as he appeared to huge cheers, slid on a Gibson electric guitar and made musical sparks immediately curl from the instrument.

    Frampton was still jamming away when he got a hug from Crow and then Stevie Nicks. When he went into a blistering solo, there was a wide smile on his face. “That’s how you do it, Peter Frampton!” Crow screamed.

    Call that electric performance a dress rehearsal. This year, Frampton finally will be inducted into the rock hall himself, an honor his fans believe is long overdue. The ceremony is Oct. 19 in Cleveland.

    He thanks Crow for sharing her spotlight. “I don’t think I would have been nominated had it not been for Sheryl pushing me out there,” he tells The Associated Press from his home in Nashville. “I will always be indebted to her for a wonderful opportunity she gave me.”

    Frampton earned his way into the hall in large part on the strength of his 1976 live double album “Frampton Comes Alive!” — buoyed by the hit songs “Show Me the Way” and ″Baby, I Love Your Way” — that Rolling Stone magazine listed among the 50 greatest live albums of all time.

    The guitarist-singer-songwriter has been eligible for the hall since 1998.

    “I thought it just wasn’t going to happen and I got on with my life,” he said. “I never expect awards. Whatever comes my way, I’m honored and thrilled about.”


    The opening of the door for Frampton coincided with a change in hall leadership in 2023 that led to key legacy acts getting invites, like Foreigner and Cher.

    They’ll join Mary J. Blige, A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band, the late Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Dionne Warwick, Alexis Korner, John Mayall and Big Mama Thornton in the class of ’24.

    “I’m absolutely thrilled for Peter. He’s given his whole life to this business and he deserves as much as anyone does,” said bassist Rick Wills, who is going into the hall with Foreigner and who played with Frampton for years, including co-writing “Do You Feel Like I Do?”

    In her acceptance speech, Crow revealed that in 1976 when she was 14, she and six teen friends caught Frampton in concert in Memphis, Tennessee. “I got to sing along with tens of thousands of strangers to ‘Do You Feel Like I Do?’” She called it a pivotal moment.

    Perhaps more than any musician, Frampton was associated with the talk box, a guitar effect that runs a tube from an amplifier to the mouth, creating a sound both psychedelic and robotic, a technique that has been used by everyone from Mötley Crüe to Pink Floyd.

    “I’ve never been about the bravado of being a star. I’ve never thought of myself that way. I’m a lifelong musician and I just want to be able to play as long as I can,” he said.

    “I speak through my guitar I think more than I do with words. I think more emotion and soul comes from my notes that I play and than anything I could ever say.”

    Major awards until recently have eluded Frampton, who had his music played in films like “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Dazed and Confused” and “The Banger Sisters.” Redemption came in 2007 when Frampton’s instrumental album “Fingerprints” won a Grammy Award, his first.

    He revealed in 2019 that he had a degenerative muscle disease called inclusion body myositis, but plans a tour leading up to his induction — The Positively Thankful Tour, which hits South Carolina, New York, Connecticut, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Washington, D.C. — and is working on songs for others as well as another album.

    “I can’t say when it’s going to come out because I’m such a perfectionist. I want every track to be like the best track I’ve ever written,” he said, laughing.

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    Associated Press

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  • Americans’ inflation-adjusted incomes rebounded to pre-pandemic levels last year

    Americans’ inflation-adjusted incomes rebounded to pre-pandemic levels last year

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    The inflation-adjusted median income of U.S. households rebounded last year to roughly its 2019 level, overcoming the biggest price spike in four decades to restore most Americans’ purchasing power.

    What You Need To Know

    • The inflation-adjusted median income of U.S. households rebounded last year to roughly its 2019 level, overcoming the biggest price spike in four decades to restore most Americans’ purchasing power

    • The proportion of Americans living in poverty also fell slightly last year, to 11.1%, from 11.5% in 2022

    • And the ratio of women’s median earnings to men’s widened for the first time in more than two decades as men’s income rose more than women’s in 2023

    • The latest data came Tuesday in an annual report from the Census Bureau, which said the median household income, adjusted for inflation, rose 4% to $80,610 in 2023, up from $77,450 in 2022


    The proportion of Americans living in poverty also fell slightly last year, to 11.1%, from 11.5% in 2022. But the ratio of women’s median earnings to men’s widened for the first time in more than two decades as men’s income rose more than women’s in 2023.

    The latest data came Tuesday in an annual report from the Census Bureau, which said the median household income, adjusted for inflation, rose 4% to $80,610 in 2023, up from $77,450 in 2022. It was the first increase since 2019, and is essentially unchanged from that year’s figure of $81,210, officials said. (The median income figure is the point at which half the population is above and half below and is less distorted by extreme incomes than the average.)

    “We are back to that pre-COVID peak that we experienced,” said Liana Fox, assistant division chief in the Social, Economic and Housing Statistics Division at the Census Bureau.

    The figures could become a talking point in the presidential campaign if Vice President Kamala Harris were to point to them as evidence that Americans’ financial health has largely recovered after inflation peaked at 9.1% in 2022. Former President Donald Trump might counter that household income grew faster in his first three years in office than in the first three years of the Biden-Harris administration, though income fell during his administration after the pandemic struck in 2020.

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    Associated Press

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  • An anomalously quiet Atlantic hurricane season so far

    An anomalously quiet Atlantic hurricane season so far

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    Hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean spans June through November and this year was forecasted as one for the record books, thanks to several climatological features. 

    What You Need To Know

    • 2024 was forecasted to be the most active Atlantic Hurricane Season on record

    • Through early Sept. 2024 there have only been six named storms

    • “Atlantic Niña” could have contributed to the lack of developing systems


    However, as we approach the midway point between the season, the under performance, so far, in the Atlantic basin has many questioning whether the season was over forecasted or the second half will see an “explosion” of activity.

    2024 Atlantic Season predictions

    Both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Colorado State University (CSU) made their seasonal forecasts back in May and had above average, ranging from 17 to 25 tropical cyclones (named storms) for NOAA and 23 named storms for CSU.

    The average number of named storms is around 14 per season. So why the extreme forecasts?

    The factors that contributed to the high number of storm predictions include near-record warmth of the Atlantic Ocean water temperatures and a La Niña. The La Niña creates a cooling of the equatorial Pacific Ocean temperatures but also reduces the wind shear and Atlantic trade winds, resulting in favorable conditions for storm development.

    Strong start to the season

    The season began strong. Alberto formed in mid-June over the southwestern part of the Gulf of Mexico.

    Next came Beryl, a long-lived storm that formed late June, south of Cabo Verde and traversed the Atlantic Ocean, intensifying into a Category 5 hurricane on July 2, becoming the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record.

    A vehicle is stranded in high waters on a flooded highway in Houston, on Monday, July 8, 2024, after Beryl came ashore in Texas as a hurricane and dumped heavy rains along the coast. (AP Photo/Juan A. Lozano)

    Other storms that followed included Hurricane Debby and Hurricane Ernesto. Here’s a look at the 2024 hurricane season so far.

    By mid-August, conditions in the Atlantic went quiet. A lull that lasted several weeks.

    Early September saw the Atlantic wake up, with Francine forming on Sept. 9 in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico from a tropical wave that crossed the Atlantic the week prior. 

    “Atlantic Niña”

    The sea surface temperatures (SSTs) of the North Atlantic remained extremely warm for much of the year. However, since early June, the central equatorial Atlantic has been about 0.5 to 1.0 degrees Celsius colder than average for this time of the year.

    Dubbed, “Atlantic Niña,” this phenomenon has shifted the track of the “seed” storms, or disturbances that move west off the coast of Africa into the Atlantic Ocean and typically develop into intense storms. According to NOAA, “a stronger West African Monsoon, the track of these waves has shifted north toward cooler waters and overall, less conducive conditions needed for tropical cyclone formation.”

    As of early September, the cooling of the central equatorial Atlantic has weakened with tropical activity expected to increase. NOAA suggests that even in active seasons, there can be periodic lulls in activity and is still forecasting a well above-average season.

    Still a lot of the season to go

    “We are just coming up on the halfway mark of the hurricane season, usually the time of peak activity,” says Dr. Frank Marks, a meteorologist in the Hurricane Research Division of NOAA/Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.

    Location is key. “For the month of September into early October, the most likely place to watch for tropical cyclone development is still the central Atlantic in the Caribbean. However, there is always a possibility of a tropical cyclone developing in the Gulf of Mexico along an old front.”

    Stressing that systems that form in the Gulf of Mexico are dangerous, “As they are likely to strike land in 2-3 days rather than being able to track them across the Atlantic for a week or more.”

    As for whether this season will be a bust for forecasters, Dr. Marks explains it like this. “Each hurricane season is different, with different changes in the weather patterns that affect the likelihood of storms to form. You need to remember that as Mark Twain once said, ‘Climate is what you expect, but weather is what you get.’”

    Unfortunately, as history has proven, it doesn’t matter the total number of storms per season because it only takes one storm to make landfall in your area and cause devastation.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

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  • Francine is strengthening; Tropical Storm and Hurricane Warnings issued

    Francine is strengthening; Tropical Storm and Hurricane Warnings issued

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    Francine has formed in the Gulf of Mexico, becoming the sixth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Tropical Storm Francine has formed in the Gulf of Mexico

    • It’s forecast to strengthen into a hurricane

    • It will make landfall along the Gulf Coast this week


    Francine is a tropical storm with max winds of 65 mph. It’s slowly moving north-northwest in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.

    The storm will slowly move off the coast of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas during the next day or so. It will then turn toward the northeast and speed up as it heads to the central Gulf Coast.

    The tropical-storm-force winds extend 160 miles outward from the center, meaning this is a large storm and impacts will be far from the center of the storm.

    It’s forecast to strengthen into a hurricane and could become a hurricane late Monday night or early Tuesday. It is expected to make landfall around Louisiana sometime late Wednesday.

    Regardless of development, this system will bring heavy rainfall to parts of the Gulf Coast and Deep South beginning Tuesday night. However, there is still uncertainty in the exact track and specific impacts. 

    The highest rainfall totals look to be around Louisiana and up the Mississippi River Valley, where flooding is possible through mid-to-late week.

    Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings are issued for parts of the western and central Gulf Coast, and Hurricane Watches and Warnings are in effect across southern Louisiana.


    Here’s a look at the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season so far.

    More Storm Season Resources


    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Tyreek Hill briefly detained for traffic violation ahead of Dolphins’ game

    Tyreek Hill briefly detained for traffic violation ahead of Dolphins’ game

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    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was briefly detained for a traffic violation while entering Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, hours before his team was set to open the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

    Hill was seen on video posted to the social media site X laying face down on the ground as officers placed his hands behind his back and appeared to put handcuffs on him.

    Hill has since been released and is preparing to play against the Jaguars, said his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.

    In a statement, the Dolphins said Hill safely arrived at the stadium.

    “This morning, WR Tyreek Hill was pulled over for a traffic incident about one block from the stadium and briefly detained by police,” the team said in a statement. “He has since been released. Several teammates saw the incident and stopped to offer support. Tyreek and all other players involved have safely arrived to the stadium and will be available for today’s game.”

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    Associated Press

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  • Education advocates welcome federal support for Hispanic-serving institutions

    Education advocates welcome federal support for Hispanic-serving institutions

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    Higher education advocates in Latino communities say they are optimistic about a new federal effort to support hundreds of local colleges and universities.

    What You Need To Know

    • Hispanic-serving institutions, or HSIs, which are not-for-profit schools with a full-time equivalent undergraduate student enrollment that is at least a quarter Hispanic, are vital to the goals of equality in educational and economic opportunities, according to the White House

    • Higher education leaders are urging the president to spread the word about the new initiative, given its potential to help Hispanic students catch up to peers from some other backgrounds

    • Biden’s order is intended to strengthen the ability of HSIs to provide high-quality education, benefit from federal programs, and increase the educational and economic mobility of their students

    Hispanic-serving institutions, or HSIs, which are not-for-profit schools with a full-time equivalent undergraduate student enrollment that is at least a quarter Hispanic, are vital to the goals of equality in educational and economic opportunities, according to the White House. That is the impetus behind President Joe Biden’s recent executive order establishing an initiative to increase funding to HSIs and creating a board of advisers on HSIs.

    With Hispanics accounting for almost three-quarters of the nation’s population gain, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates from 2022 to 2023, higher education leaders are urging the president to spread the word about the new initiative, given its potential to help Hispanic students catch up to peers from some other backgrounds.

    “This is very important for the country to have this type of new development at the national level,” said Antonio R. Flores, president and CEO of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, a nonprofit advocacy group.

    “We know the implications of this are also enormous for the nation” because Latinos are a fast-growing demographic, “and this is reflected in higher education enrollment,” said Flores, whose group hopes the White House will hold a formal ceremony in September to promote the HSI initiative.

    Biden’s order is intended to strengthen the ability of HSIs to provide high-quality education, benefit from federal programs, and increase the educational and economic mobility of their students.

    The more than 500 HSIs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico serve more than 4.7 million students every year, according to federal data. Many students are low-income, and nearly a third are eligible for Pell grants, which are federal scholarships for students in need.

    Unlike historically Black or Native American tribal colleges and universities, which are given their designations based on their missions, any college can receive the HSI label and related federal money if its Latino enrollment reaches at least 25% of the student body.

    Prominent HSIs include the University of California at Riverside, which has had the designation since 2008; California State University at San Bernardino, which has had it since 1994; and the University of Texas at Austin, which earned its designation in 2020. Notable HSI alumni include actress and activist Eva Longoria, union organizer and activist Dolores Huerta and Arturo Moreno, owner of the Los Angeles Angels.

    A U.S. Government Accountability Office report this year found that HSIs have extensive facility and digital infrastructure needs, and struggle to meet those needs due to insufficient state funding and rising construction costs.

    Lizette Galaviz, a political science major at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, said the school does a good job of meeting Hispanic students’ financial aid needs. Since 2022, the school has covered tuition and mandatory fees for students from families whose income is $125,000 or less.

    Galaviz said because of the financial aid she receives from the school, she and many of her classmates will graduate with little or no debt. But despite the generous aid, the school has a lot of room for improvement, including with its research capabilities, she said.

    “Enhancing the infrastructure and resources that we have would be something that I would like to see,” Galaviz said. “I think educational equity is very important. It is no secret that the Rio Grande Valley is one of the most impoverished areas.”

    These institutions are critical in widening the pipeline of Latinos going into STEM fields, according to White House officials.

    HSIs “play a critical role in ensuring Latinos have access to the middle class and can fulfill their aspirations,” White House domestic policy adviser Neera Tanden said in a statement to The Associated Press. “The president’s executive order will strengthen these critical institutions and build their capacity to provide economic mobility for all their students.”

    Hispanics, who can be of any race, are the nation’s second-largest demographic. Their population grew last year by about 1.2 million, to 65.2 million, meaning Hispanics make up almost a fifth of the total population. according to census estimates.

    Anne-Marie Núñez, executive director of the Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success at the University of Texas, El Paso, said the executive order is just one step toward better-serving students at HSIs which, like HBCUs and tribal colleges, are under-resourced and lack infrastructure.

    Both Núñez and Flores said the 21-member advisory board should include Hispanic leaders from various sectors. Núñez said it is important that the rural universities and the Puerto Rican community, which is often overlooked at the federal level, is not forgotten when selections happen.

    “This is a positive development, not just for HSIs but for the nation,” Núñez said. “If this order is implemented well, it should broaden opportunities for HSI students and faculty to create career pathways and to advance economic and societal well-being.”

    Melissa Camacho, who is studying business administration at the City College of San Francisco, said she thinks resources are lacking for Hispanic students who aren’t native English speakers. Even at the Mission Center, a satellite campus of her college where most students are Hispanic and Spanish speakers, some information about support programs is printed or offered in English only, she said.

    “In reality, the majority of students do not know what opportunities exist,” Camacho said. “The support is there, they just don’t tell us.”

    Camacho did find a program that helps students navigate the process of transferring to a four-year university, as well as a student-run club that helps native Spanish speakers navigate class registration, financial aid and relevant government policy changes.

    “There are a lot of students like me who want to continue their education, but we do not have the information and we get discouraged,” said Camacho, who knew little about the new presidential HSI initiative. “If there were more people who told us there are scholarships available, we could show that we want to continue school.”

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    Associated Press

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